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US 10,401,842 B2Granted
Dynamically configurable production and/or distribution line control system and method therefor
AssigneeSicpa Holding SA
InventorsJesper Spring, Iacopo Giangrandi, Francesca Acerra, Philippe Leuba, Frederic Defever
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to control systems for controlling and dynamically configuring a production line. The production line includes one or multiple peripheral devices respectively located throughout the production line. A controller, or control unit, may, in one embodiment, extract binary instructions included in a file received from a source external to the controller, and the controller operates each of the devices on the production line based on the binary instructions embedded in the file.
Claims20
System for controlling a production or distribution line, the system comprising:
- at least one peripheral device operable to perform at least one peripheral device operation on the line, and
- a control unit comprising a processor and a memory storing a control program,
- wherein the control unit is operable to control the at least one peripheral device by executing on the processor the control program to drive each of the at least one peripheral device being necessary according to a first configuration file of the control program, to carry out its respective peripheral device operation(s) according to the first configuration file, wherein the first configuration file corresponds to a first scenario of production or distribution;
- the system being characterized in that said control unit is further operable
- to stop the operations of the at least one peripheral device involved in the first scenario, to put each peripheral device in an inactive state, and then to detect that each peripheral device is in an inactive state;
- to receive a reconfiguration instruction from an external source;
- upon detecting that each peripheral device is in an inactive state and receiving the reconfiguration instruction, to configure each of the at least one peripheral device being necessary according to a second configuration file of said control program, wherein the second configuration file corresponds to a second scenario of production or distribution, and the second scenario differs from the first scenario;
- to detect a state, hereinafter referred to as “ready state”, according to which each of the at least one peripheral device being necessary for the second scenario is ready to carry out its respective peripheral device operation(s) according to the second configuration file;
- and
- upon detecting said ready state, to control the at least one peripheral device by executing on the processor the control program to drive each of the at least one peripheral device being necessary for the second scenario, to carry out its respective peripheral device operation(s) according to the second configuration file, thereby causing a reconfiguration of the line without restarting said control program,
- wherein said second configuration file is stored in the memory and said reconfiguration instruction comprises a name or an identifier of said second configuration file to be executed by the processor of the control unit, and said external source operable to send a reconfiguration instruction to the control unit comprises at least one of:
- a user terminal operable by a user to input said reconfiguration instruction and to send it to the control unit via a communication link;
- and
- a remote server operable to send said reconfiguration instruction to the control unit via a communication link.
11 more elements
Method for controlling a production or distribution line, the method involving at least one peripheral device operable to perform at least one peripheral device operation on the line, and a control unit comprising a processor and a memory storing a control program, the method comprising:
- the control unit controlling the at least one peripheral device by executing on the processor the control program to drive each of the at least one peripheral device being necessary according to a first configuration file of the control program, to carry out its respective peripheral device operation(s) according to the first configuration file, wherein the first configuration file corresponds to a first scenario of production or distribution;
- the method being characterized by further comprising the control unit
- stopping the operations of the at least one peripheral device involved in the first scenario, putting each peripheral device in an inactive state, and then detecting that each peripheral device is in an inactive state;
- receiving a reconfiguration instruction from an external source;
- upon detecting that each peripheral device is in an inactive state and receiving the reconfiguration instruction, configuring each of the at least one peripheral device being necessary according to a second configuration file of said control program, wherein the second configuration file corresponds to a second scenario of production or distribution, and the second scenario differs from the first scenario;
- detecting a state, hereinafter referred to as “ready state”, according to which each of the at least one peripheral device being necessary for the second scenario is ready to carry out its respective peripheral device operation(s) according to the second configuration file;
- and,
- upon detecting said ready state, controlling the at least one peripheral device by executing on the processor the control program to drive each of the at least one peripheral device being necessary for the second scenario, to carry out its respective peripheral device operation(s) according to the second configuration file, thereby causing a reconfiguration of the line without restarting said control program,
- wherein said second configuration file is stored in the memory and said reconfiguration instruction comprises a name or an identifier of said second configuration file to be executed by the processor of the control unit, and said external source sending a reconfiguration instruction to the control unit comprises at least one of:
- a user terminal operable by a user to input said reconfiguration instruction and to send it to the control unit via a communication link;
- and
- a remote server operable to send said reconfiguration instruction to the control unit via a communication link.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.